Mason vs Sebastian
Mason and Sebastiancompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Mason was ranked #25 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Mason was ranked #26 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Mason was ranked #56 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Mason was ranked #77 and Sebastian #47 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Mason was ranked #61 and Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mason was ranked #75 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Mason and Sebastian over time
Mason and Sebastian appear together in 5 published lists, across 121 years of shared records. Mason held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sebastian in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Mason reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Sebastian in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2011, Mason moved ahead of Sebastian in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #128 and #92 the year before became #70 and #92.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mason and Sebastian changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2025, ending at #77 and #47.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Mason and Sebastian averaged 13.2 places apart, ending at #77 and #47.
- Longest-running competitions
Mason and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #77 and #47.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Mason #15 in 2013, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Mason held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sebastian in 11.
Highest recorded here: Mason #27 in 2013, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mason #77, Sebastian #47.
Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1993–2025
Mason held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Sebastian in 9.
Highest recorded here: Mason #32 in 2022, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order changed in 2011: Mason moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #128 and #92; by 2011 that had become #70 and #92.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mason #75, Sebastian #125.
Northern Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 2002–2024
Mason held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mason #15 in 2013, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mason #61, Sebastian #154.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys22 shared years, 2003–2025
Mason held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sebastian in 11.
Highest recorded here: Mason #14 in 2018, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mason #56, Sebastian #31.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2002–2023
Mason held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Sebastian in 1.
Highest recorded here: Mason #4 in 2014, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Mason #26, Sebastian #52.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Mason | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Originally an occupational surname/vocabulary word meaning 'stoneworker', later adopted as a given name. The deeper root of the word itself is disputed among etymologists — a Germanic (Frankish) origin versus an alternative Medieval Latin source. | Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus. |
| Origin | English surname, from Old French masson/macon | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmeɪsən/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #56 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mason is recorded with a English surname, from Old French masson/macon origin, while Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- Mason has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
- Mason's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Mason
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 2000–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #77 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Sebastian
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys